WSJ.com - Meet the Bloggers, Part Two

WSJ.com - Meet the Bloggers, Part Two: "NEW YORK -- Republican Web loggers are getting ready for their shot at posting convention news and commentary, and they say they've learned from their left-leaning counterparts' experience five weeks earlier.

At Madison Square Garden, the official blogger group will number about 15, a tiny fraction of the estimated 15,000 journalists expected, and less than half the size of the accredited Boston blogger set. 'That's just the number we landed on,' said convention spokeswoman Alyssa McClenning. She wouldn't discuss how convention planners chose the group, but said the bloggers 'reflected a mix of ideologies.' Adding to the blend are some delegates and traditional journalists who also plan to blog from the convention.

In the accreditation process, Republican convention organizers invited particular bloggers, while the Democrats used applications. But the result is the same: a lot of home-team support. Most Boston bloggers were solidly in the John Kerry camp, while most New York bloggers plan to vote for President Bush. A handful of centrist bloggers are attending both.

The Wall Street Journal Online e-mailed questionnaires to bloggers accredited for the New York convention, asking about their political views, blogging style, approach to the convention and opinions on mainstream media coverage. Nearly all replied. Click on the bloggers' names to see their responses to the questionnaire and a link to their Web sites.

Some Republican convention bloggers also took shots at the Boston bloggers. Asked what they learned from Boston, some of the New York bloggers characterized the Boston coverage as self-absorbed and overly preoccupied with celebrity sightings. The Republican bloggers said they'd stay more focused on the issues and the convention itself -- a chance they'll get next week."

By CARL BIALIK and ELIZABETH WEINSTEIN
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE



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